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UK's M&S launches Live Shopping for improved customer experience

04 Feb '22
3 min read
Pic: M&S
Pic: M&S

M&S has launched Live Shopping on M&S.com, offering customers a new way to find inspiration and shop with the retailer and tapping into a growing trend that’s expected to account for 10-20 per cent of global e-commerce by 2026. It is the latest example of M&S embracing new opportunities in retail to be more relevant, more often for customers.

The service, facilitated by M&S software partner LiSA, allows any of the 13.5 million customers that visit M&S.com each week to join a live broadcast hosted by an M&S expert where they can hear more about the ranges they are browsing, ask questions through the live chat function, view product demonstrations, and most importantly, buy the products as they watch. 

Live Shopping is the latest example of M&S investing to provide customers with a seamless shopping experience however, wherever and whenever they choose to shop, and follows a wave of other initiatives implemented over the last 18 months.

This includes the launch of M&S’s new digital Click & Collect format, which has cut waiting times and already helped customers process 70k self-service returns in-store, and the introduction of online video consultations for customers browsing furniture, menswear and lingerie on M&S.com - which has facilitated 28,000 1-1 consultations in just 9 months. That is equivalent to one call every 14 minutes, M&S said in a press release.

Combining digital technology with the renowned customer service M&S is famous for, Live Shopping serves to not only address customer queries but provide exciting style inspiration too – something M&S knows its customers want (the three trial events received really positive customer feedback and had an average dwell time of over 75 per cent).

“Live Shopping on M&S.com is the latest in a wave of new initiatives we’ve introduced to improve our customer experience. It’s a global trend that responds to how customers are using social media – we all know how much more we’re scrolling and engaging with video content – at home, or on the go. Live shopping puts our experts front and centre and gives them the ideal platform to share the M&S point of difference – in terms of both quality, design and innovation features,” Stephen Langford, director of M&S.com, said.

In addition to the commercial benefits it will bring, Live Shopping offers up a new channel of communication with customers – giving M&S the opportunity to drive brand awareness and style perceptions, and gather valuable customer feedback. More widely, M&S is continuing with its push to further develop the capabilities of M&S.com, with recent initiatives including the introduction of user generated content and a ‘shop the look button’.

“The LiSA team could not be more excited to partner with M&S to bring exciting and interactive live shopping experiences to M&S customers. M&S plays a critical role not only in inspiring, but in educating and helping its customers discover those products best suited to their needs. Live shopping allows M&S to give more members of its online community more regular access to M&S’ unique expertise in so many important matters of daily life, and thanks to the interactivity of the format, customers become true co-creators. At LiSA, we believe the future of e-commerce is community-led, and M&S is doing a marvelous job at embracing that,” Sophie Freres, CEO at LiSA, said.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)

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